Related Experiment Video
Updated: Sep 27, 2026
Efficient and Scalable Directed Differentiation of Clinically Compatible Corneal Limbal Epithelial Stem Cells from Human Pluripotent Stem Cells
Published on: October 24, 2018
The preliminary experimental study of induced differentiation of embryonic stem cells into corneal epithelial cells
1Zhongshan Ophthalmic Center, Sun Yat-sen University of Medical Sciences, Guangzhou 510060, China.
Purpose:
To study preliminarily induced differentiation of embryonic stem cells into corneal epithelial cells in vitro.
Methods:
Murine embryonic stem cells were co-cultured with Rabbit limbal corneal epithelial cells in Transwell system to induce differentiation. Mophological and immunohistochemical examination were implemented.
Results:
The induced cells from embryonic stem cells have an epithelial appearance. The cells formed a network and were confluent into film gradually after being co-cultured with rabbit limbal corneal epithelial cells for 24-96 hours. The cells ranged mosaic structure and localized together with clear rim. Most of the cells showed polygonal appearance. Transmission electron microscope showed lots of microvilli on the surface of induced cells and tight junctions between them. These epithelial-like cells expressed the corneal epithelial cell specific marker cytokeratin3/cytokeratin12.
Conclusion:
The potential mechanism of the differentiation of murine embryonic stem cells into corneal epithelial cells induced by limbal corneal epithelial cell-derived inducing activity is to be further verified.
